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lanternatomika's review
4.0
If you've just watched The Flash, like I have, and found yourself interested in reading his comics, I can say that this is a great omnibus to pick up! You can probably find it at a great price, and it's just a really solid story.
Since this was a New 52 run, you've got all the Barry Allen essentials here, presented for the convince of the newcomer. You've got Barry and his backstory, his love triangle with Iris West and Patty Spivot, and his career as a Central City forensic scientist. You've also got general Flash essentials, like the Rogues, Gorilla Grodd, Speed Force shenanigans, and a take on the Reverse Flash.
Unlike a lot of the stuff that came out in The New 52, though, this one isn't pointlessly dark and gritty. It's got emotional stakes and asks the question of whether Barry is really making the best use of his connection to the Speed Force, but there's more of an adventure vibe to it. You can't really tell a dark and serious story that also features an invading army of gorillas, but The Flash has the perfect tone to keep you engaged through its emotional highs and lows.
But what really elevates this run is the gorgeous artwork. I mean, the scripts are good and all, but the panels and splash pages here are just some of the most fun and dynamic things that I've seen in comics. Trying to figure out how Francis Manapul writes "DC Comics Proudly Presents The Flash in [whatever]" was really fun in each issue!
At times, you'll wonder how someone can draw like this on a monthly comic, and the answer to that is Manapul doesn't draw every single issue of this run, and it's pretty noticeable when the fill-ins turn up. Not because they're bad, but because Manapul might be one of the best artists The Flash has ever had.
As for the story itself, it's about 25 issues long and it tells a nice and satisfying tale. There are no earth shattering stakes here, but this isn't a boring book, either. And as Buccellato and Manapul leave the book, they tie up their storylines well enough that you can stop here without picking up Robert Venditti's (less liked) run.
Flash fans might not like what they did with Reverse Flash, but this was a long time ago. There's also an issue that introduces Barry to the N52 version of Kid Flash, but it literally doesn't add up to anything. These are minor problems, though, especially for the target audience.
What might bother everyone a bit more is that, once the main story is over, you get a pair of tie-ins to Forever Evil and a tie-in to Zero Year (a Batman storyline?). These might be important to collectors, but they're a bit distracting without their original context. As for the Zero Year tie-in particular, that issue has so many weird implications for Barry and Iris' backstory that I'm assuming it was retconned down the line. Since they're at the end of the omni, though, they don't detract from the main story at all.
Is this the best Flash run ever? People swear by Mark Waid and Geoff Johns' runs, and Johns took a crack at Barry, too (*cough*cough*Flashpoint*cough*), and I haven't read those. This is a very good run though, and that can be good enough. Maybe don't pay cover for this one, but definitely snag it at a discount.
Since this was a New 52 run, you've got all the Barry Allen essentials here, presented for the convince of the newcomer. You've got Barry and his backstory, his love triangle with Iris West and Patty Spivot, and his career as a Central City forensic scientist. You've also got general Flash essentials, like the Rogues, Gorilla Grodd, Speed Force shenanigans, and a take on the Reverse Flash.
Unlike a lot of the stuff that came out in The New 52, though, this one isn't pointlessly dark and gritty. It's got emotional stakes and asks the question of whether Barry is really making the best use of his connection to the Speed Force, but there's more of an adventure vibe to it. You can't really tell a dark and serious story that also features an invading army of gorillas, but The Flash has the perfect tone to keep you engaged through its emotional highs and lows.
But what really elevates this run is the gorgeous artwork. I mean, the scripts are good and all, but the panels and splash pages here are just some of the most fun and dynamic things that I've seen in comics. Trying to figure out how Francis Manapul writes "DC Comics Proudly Presents The Flash in [whatever]" was really fun in each issue!
At times, you'll wonder how someone can draw like this on a monthly comic, and the answer to that is Manapul doesn't draw every single issue of this run, and it's pretty noticeable when the fill-ins turn up. Not because they're bad, but because Manapul might be one of the best artists The Flash has ever had.
As for the story itself, it's about 25 issues long and it tells a nice and satisfying tale. There are no earth shattering stakes here, but this isn't a boring book, either. And as Buccellato and Manapul leave the book, they tie up their storylines well enough that you can stop here without picking up Robert Venditti's (less liked) run.
Flash fans might not like what they did with Reverse Flash, but this was a long time ago. There's also an issue that introduces Barry to the N52 version of Kid Flash, but it literally doesn't add up to anything. These are minor problems, though, especially for the target audience.
What might bother everyone a bit more is that, once the main story is over, you get a pair of tie-ins to Forever Evil and a tie-in to Zero Year (a Batman storyline?). These might be important to collectors, but they're a bit distracting without their original context. As for the Zero Year tie-in particular, that issue has so many weird implications for Barry and Iris' backstory that I'm assuming it was retconned down the line. Since they're at the end of the omni, though, they don't detract from the main story at all.
Is this the best Flash run ever? People swear by Mark Waid and Geoff Johns' runs, and Johns took a crack at Barry, too (*cough*cough*Flashpoint*cough*), and I haven't read those. This is a very good run though, and that can be good enough. Maybe don't pay cover for this one, but definitely snag it at a discount.
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